I know this topic has probably been around before, but I was hoping some of you seasoned LPNs could comment on what you think about the future of LPN/LVN nursing. I'm planning to enter LVN school this June, and am both excited and apprehensive! I do plan to eventually earn my RN, but earning a paycheck within about a years' time sure sounds good.
Also, what are your experiences with stress in nursing? I used to be a high school English teacher, but got out of that after three years because of UNBELIEVABLE expectations placed on my by parents/administrators, and the fact that I felt I was little more than a glorified babysitter....
I know these topics are nothing new to you, but I'm a newbie and anything helps! Cheers y'all.
:welcome: here in south georgia, lpn's are not being phased out. we work in many places and a number of hospitals in the area still hire and recruit us.
well here in atlanta the hospitals are not hiring lpn's any more. however, when i look in the hire ads i do see hospitals outside of metro atl still hiring us.
to quote my lvn instructor....."If you don't want to be stuck working in nursing homes the rest of your life, go on and get your RN." I realize this isn't an option for everyone, but in california there are very few places an LVN can work.
Like nurse hobbit stated, here in GA we can do almost as much as an RN, but I do see LPN's being placed in Med/Surg floors more so then ICU, ER, CCU's. I agree it depends on what state you live in.
I think it will all come down to $$$ in the end. There are provinces up here in Canada where the RN is simply becoming too expensive. They are pricing themselves out of the market.
I know this topic has probably been around before, but I was hoping some of you seasoned LPNs could comment on what you think about the future of LPN/LVN nursing. I'm planning to enter LVN school this June, and am both excited and apprehensive! I do plan to eventually earn my RN, but earning a paycheck within about a years' time sure sounds good.
Also, what are your experiences with stress in nursing? I used to be a high school English teacher, but got out of that after three years because of UNBELIEVABLE expectations placed on my by parents/administrators, and the fact that I felt I was little more than a glorified babysitter....
I know these topics are nothing new to you, but I'm a newbie and anything helps! Cheers y'all.
I've been an LPN for over 50 years....working most of my full time career in the MICU.....now work contingent a few days a week .....mostly PICU and NICU as turning the 300 lb man with multiple organ failure isnt' as easy for me as it was 15 years ago.
In my state, LPNs have a very broad scope of practice and there is much more that we can do than we can't do. I pretty much handle my own patients....and there is little than an RN has to do for me. SO....LPNs are not a dying breed everywhere. However......everywhere....RNs do have more opportunities. Only experienced LPNs work in speciality units......and there are far fewer LPN positions on the floors than RN positions. Outpatient clincs and LTC however are always hungry for LPNs.
That said...I would urge you to get your BSN and become an RN. If you have a BA in English,many of your credits would transfer and perhaps all you would have to take are your nursing classes and basic sciences.....biology, chemistry, anatomy, micro...etc. You could finish a 4 year degree in less than 3 years.
My grandson is a high school chemistry teacher and part time college instructor. He works in a large urban district with many students who live in poverty. I understand what you say about parents and administrators---he has told me many stories about challenging and disruptive students whos families won't do anything and the administrators are worthless. But....as a nurse you will have to deal with families in very stressful situations....and hospital administrators who can make working conditions pretty awful. And you will not have as nice of schedule you had as a teacher....in the hospital at least...you work nights and holidays and weekends....and summers.
However, as a nurse...you won't have to take papers home to grade or plan lessons....when you are home.....you are home....and what happens at the hospital stays at the hospital (unless you have a nightmare that you forgot to draw you 4 am labs and your patient dies.....or the 26 weeker on a vent pulls out his ett and crawls out of the warmer and you can't find him....)
What about becoming a school nurse? In my day they hired LPNs as school nurses, but I'm certain that most of the schools hire only RNs who have their BSN.
The grass is always greener.....and as an old lady......I can attest to its truth.
I am jealous of you LVN's that can actually work in the capacity of a nurse..assess, etc. In California, our hands are tied. The powers that be (CALI RN board?) seem to want LVN's to be strictly "pill pushers." We can't assess patients here. We can't work in the hospitals. We are getting limited in where we can go. LTC is our last refuge unless you don't mind corrections (NOT for everyone) or psych (same prob). The home health company here only has 1 or 2 LVN's on thier entire payroll...the LVN's are in RN school at the moment.
In a sense..I believe it is a dying breed and I say that only because in most states, employers can hire Medical Assistants who can basically do the same duties as LPNs with a lot less pay. (Except Home Health and such). However...you have to start somewhere and I encourage you to absolutely go for it! It is a very rewarding career and yes you can always continue your education for RN while earning a paycheck! Good Luck to you!
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I am jealous of you LVN's that can actually work in the capacity of a nurse..assess, etc. In California, our hands are tied. The powers that be (CALI RN board?) seem to want LVN's to be strictly "pill pushers." We can't assess patients here. We can't work in the hospitals. We are getting limited in where we can go. LTC is our last refuge unless you don't mind corrections (NOT for everyone) or psych (same prob). The home health company here only has 1 or 2 LVN's on thier entire payroll...the LVN's are in RN school at the moment.
It really shocks me to read that other states are having problems seeking employment as practical nurses. Thus far, this has not been the case for me in New York. Where the problem may be is that the volume of patients in long term care may be too much for any nurse to handle. I am not sure if I would want to work in a situation where I am the only nurse responsible for medicating anywhere from 20 plus patients.
I sometimes wonder if a few years from now after many LPN's have upgraded to RN, will the next thing the powers that be, say is, "Oh no!, We can't afford so many RN's, guess we will have to run short or hire back those LPN's" The only problem is there may not be any LPN's left at this point.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I sometimes wonder if a few years from now after many LPN's have upgraded to RN, will the next thing the powers that be, say is, "Oh no!, We can't afford so many RN's, guess we will have to run short or hire back those LPN's" The only problem is there may not be any LPN's left at this point.
This is what happened at my hospital years ago. The clinics felt that they had too many RNs and then laid them off and replaced most of them with LPNs. I think that the pattern shifts every now and then and causes these things to happen. Unions for the RNs have now added certain things that only the RN can do in order to justify their place (not saying that they do not deserve it...they absolutely do) so that the LPN cannot easily be do it, such as screening patients for flu and pneumonia vaccinations. These patients have standing orders, therefore can walk into the clinic without being seen by a physician to obtain the shot; so the RN has to make an assessment to see if the patient is eligible to receive the vaccine.
Specializes in geriatrics-LTC/clinics/med surg/psych.
:monkeydance: When I was in nursing school my instructor told us that they were considering phasing out lvn's back in the 60's. But it's 2007, and we're still here. I've been an lvn for 2 years. I plan on going back to get the rn license, but I havent decided when. Right now I'm focusing on my current job. I don't think that you're stuck if you work in nursing homes. LTC/ASSISTED LIVING realizes the importance of lvn's. I got experience as a charge nurse at a ltc facility. I'm not saying that there aren't alot of hell holes out there(believe me:angryfire there are and I've worked in them.)Once the baby boomers begin to truly overwhelm the healthcare system, I beleive LVN'S will gain the respect we deserve. SHOW ME THE MONEY$$$:trout:
I am jealous of you LVN's that can actually work in the capacity of a nurse..assess, etc. In California, our hands are tied. The powers that be (CALI RN board?) seem to want LVN's to be strictly "pill pushers." We can't assess patients here. We can't work in the hospitals. We are getting limited in where we can go. LTC is our last refuge unless you don't mind corrections (NOT for everyone) or psych (same prob). The home health company here only has 1 or 2 LVN's on thier entire payroll...the LVN's are in RN school at the moment.
Where in California are you?? I am in SoCal, and I know Mission Hospital is hiring LVNs and also lots of hospitals in LA, for different units....L/D, ER, etc...
I am going to get my RN, eventually, I think....but, I am going to get my LVN first, because it will cut out 3 years of waiting to get into school. I had been in school for my LPN and RN before, 2x, but we had to move overseas...hubby was in the Air Force. Now he is retired, kids are in college, and so I finally have LOTS of times for me!! My son is at Oral Roberts U. and he just changed his major to nursing from pre-Med, he had below a 3.0, and no way was he going to get into med school even with a high MCAT score, and he wanted to still do medicine. ORU, has NO wait list, and everyone who applies, gets in!!! I told my hubby, maybe I need to move to Tulsa, and get my BSN with my son!!
:)
Interesting to hear what you have to say about LVNs in Cali, the more info I can get, the better I am...I like to read everything!!
zoeyzoe
147 Posts
well here in atlanta the hospitals are not hiring lpn's any more. however, when i look in the hire ads i do see hospitals outside of metro atl still hiring us.